A soul story is that story inside you that needs to be told.

Dr. James attended TED Global

in Arusha, Tanzania in August of 2017.

She even got to deliver a one minute rebuttal to a TED talk on the TED stage!

Dr. Cristina James (“Tina”)

Dr. Cristina James (“Tina”) has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Columbia University in New York, and a doctorate in English literature from State University of New York at Albany. In addition, she earned her law degree from Pepperdine School of Law in Malibu, California. She is currently completing a master’s degree in Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University. She has taught English literature and writing at the undergraduate, high school, and middle school level for the past 25 years. For the past 13 years, she has served as an English teacher, curriculum coordinator, and academic dean at The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida. Dr. James is committed to empowering the voices of students and helping them to bravely access and tell their “soul stories.”

Testimonials

-Father of 7th grade presenter

Dr. James--I wanted to take a moment to send you a note of congratulations on a tremendously successful TEDx program. Programs like this make us as parents proud We are so fortunate to have educators and programs that guide and shape our students as they navigate towards their future. By stepping outside the bounds of traditional education, programs like this and teachers like you, encourage our students to question the "norm", challenge "conventional" and shape a new future. You helped our daughter find her voice and gave her the confidence to deliver a wonderful message. I promise you that the impact you made on her will last throughout her lifetime.

-7th grade parent

I feel [the soulstory curriculum and the TEDX experience] provided my son another level or confidence and a real feeling of accomplishment. He could have said "forget it" but what I like is he had the drive to not quit and as a result I think he feels more confident in himself! 7th grade parent. I think the assignment actually helped my son to think on a much deeper level. It also was empowering to be a seventh grade presenter in such a well-known & world-wide event! I believe the assignment not only inspired my son but also gave him a sense of achievement that he had never encountered before. I was inspired just by attending and watching all of the speakers!

-Matt, 7th grade presenter

I have learned that if I put my mind to something I can achieve it. I have learned that my teachers are willing to help me and THAT my classmates can put their mind to it and achieve it. I worked hard because I wanted to spread my message to the world and accomplished something like this, to make my parents proud and me proud. At first I did not really care for it, but as it went on It became more exciting to do this in front of many people and spread my ideas, and right before it I got butterflies in my stomach but went I went on it was not nerve racking.